Improvement in walking-plows



l v 2Sheets--Sheet2. T. F. VANDEGHIFT @L w. VANDERGYRIFT Walking-Flows.

Patented 0ct.13, 1874.

WITNBSSES INYENTORS MM Jef/w y Attornys UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THEODORE F. VANDEGRIFT AND WILLIAM VANDERGRIFT, OF WABASH, IND.

IMPROVEMENT IN WALKING-PLOlNS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 155,905, dated October13, 1874; application filed August 25, 1874.

To alt whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, THEODORE F. VAN- DEGRIFT and WiLLIAM VANDERGRIET,of Wabash, in the county of Wabash and State of Indiana, have invented anew and Valuable Improvement in Walking-Flows; and we do hereby declarethat the following is a full, clear, and exact description of theconstruction and operation of the same, reference being had to theannexed drawings making a part of this specification, and to the lettersand figures of reference marked thereon.

Figure l of the drawing is a representation of a plan view of ourwalking-plow. Fig. 6 is a sectional View.

This invention relates to walking-cultivators 5 and it consists inallowing part of the tongue to be adjusted at an angle with respect tothe axle in turning the machine around at the ends of the rows, as willbe hereinafter explained.

In the annexed drawings, A 'A designate two transporting-wheels, whichare applied to turn on two right-angular axles, B B,the verticalportions ot' which axles pass through a horizontal cross -bar, C, andare secured to this bar by means of binding-screws e e. By loosening thescrews e c the bar() can be raised or lowered. The tongue is composed oftwo sections, D D1, and the section D is rigidly bolted upon thevertically-adjustable cross-bar C, and extends forward and in rear ofthe same, as shown in Figs. 1 and 6. The section D1 is connected to thefront end of the section D by means of a hinge, which will allow thissection D1 to be adjusted horizontally and made to assume any desiredangle with respect to the axles. The section D1 is held rigidly tosection D by means of a sheath, D2, which caps 'the two sections attheir joint, and which is pivoted to section D. By means of ahand-lever, F, and a rod, b, connecting it to the sheath D2, theattendant, walking behind the machine, can raise the sheath, and thusallow the horses to turn short around without breaking down the corn.The double-tree E, to which the horses are hitched, is attached to thesection D1. G G designate two pairs of curve'd shovelcarrying beams, thefront ends of each pair of which are rigidly secured to the Shanks oftwo concavo-convex jaws, J J, which embrace a ball, c, fixed on the axleB.

I thus connect thel shovel-carrying beams to their axles by means ofball-and-socket joints, which allow the attendant to manipulate theshovels in guiding the same along the rows.

The jaws J J may be vertically or horizontally divided, and they will beprovided with set-screws for adjusting them up to the balls as the partswear.

'lhe beams G G are provided with handles G', also with acircularly-revolving guard, H, applied to a standard, H', and arrangedalongsde of the shovels, which run next to the roots of the plants.These guards prevent very young plants from being injured by coveringthem with too much earth.

Each one of the shovels L is constructed with a long loop, l, on itsback side, which loop receives a staple. d, that passes` through thelower extension h of each beam G, and receives nuts i on its ends. Whenthe nuts 'o' are screwed up tight the shovel will be rigidly held, andwhen the nuts are loosened' the shovels can be adjusted so as to throwmore or less earth toward or from the plants.

When the shovels are not workin g they can be hung upon the horns n n,which are secured to the rear end of the draft-tongue.

What we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The tongue, composed of sections D D1, jointed together and combinedwith the pivoted sheath D2, the hand-lever F, and its connecting-rod b,substantially as described.

In testimony that we claim the above we have hereunto subscribed ournames in the presence of two witnesses.

T. F. VANDEGRIFT. WILLIAM VANDERGRIFT.

Witnesses GEORGE F. WOHLGAWQRTH, LEwrs OsBoRN.

